This course is an interdisciplinary seminar that approaches the women of the Bible — from Eve, Sara, and Hagar through Miriam, Ruth, Judith, and Mary — within the broad critical perspective of gender and sexuality. We will discuss works by prominent feminist scholars who have critiqued patriarchal, heteronormative male culture and illuminated the field of biblical studies.

We will ask what kind of alternative tools, sensibilities, and knowledge one needs to engage with the “women’s communities” of the Bible, and what kind of old conventions one must leave behind. In addition to learning how meaning is constructed in the Bible, we will explore the ways these foundational women have figured in history and contemporary culture in art, films, and poetry.

Syllabi are available to current LSA students. IMPORTANT: These syllabi are provided to give students a general idea about the courses, as offered by LSA departments and programs in prior academic terms. The syllabi do not necessarily reflect the assignments, sequence of course materials, and/or course expectations that the faculty and departments/programs have for these same courses in the current and/or future terms.